Lcd tv and projection-based backlight system used therefor

ABSTRACT

An LCD TV comprises a housing, an LCD screen panel disposed on the front side of the housing, a first mirror disposed on the back side of the housing and a projection-based backlight system disposed in a lower cabinet of the housing, wherein the projection-based backlight system provides polarized light for the LCD screen panel through the first mirror. The projection-based backlight system can provide uniformly polarized light and increase polarization efficiency as well as be easily achieved by using low-cost optical components.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to an LCD TV, and more particularly toan LCD TV using a projection-based backlight system.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent years, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) have been widely used ina variety of applications, including LCD televisions (LCD TVs), portablecomputers, and vehicle, ship and aircraft instrumentation, due to theadvantage of a thin profile and brilliant display. Most LCDs require anillumination source or backlight unit for backlighting LCD panels sothat the image displayed on the LCD can be seen by a viewer.

In those applications, LCD TVs are gradually gaining in popularity dueto their thin, light features and low power consumption in comparisonwith conventional cathode ray tube televisions (CRT TVs). An LCD TVcomprises an LCD screen panel and a backlight unit placed at the back ofthe LCD screen panel and configured to light the LCD screen panel sothat an image can be formed on the LCD screen panel. In the backlightunit, cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) are generally adopted asthe light source to provide a uniform backlighting of the LCD screenpanel. It is necessary to illuminate the whole surface of the LCD screenpanel with the light from a so-called linear light source by such afluorescent lamp.

In general, as to features of a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL)used for a light source in an LCD screen panel, its luminance isinversely proportional to its lifetime. That is, if the CCFL is drivenwith a high current to increase the luminance, its lifespan is reduced,and if the CCFL is driven at a low current to increase its lifetime, itis difficult to obtain high luminance. However, actual commercialproducts generally require high luminance and a long lifetimeconcurrently.

Further, when an LCD TV, particularly over 40 inches, is to bemanufactured, it is necessary to have a large backlight unit with morenumbers of CCFL tubes for supplying sufficient light to the LCD screenpanel of the LCD TV. However, the yield for such a large backlight unithaving more numbers of CCFL tubes not only has lower yield rate but alsohas even higher cost. In additions, a more uniformly bright andeffectively polarized light for such an LCD TV is not easy to beachieved by these CCFL tubes.

Due to the above shortcomings of the CCFL and its use in an LCD TV, itis needed to provide an LCD TV using a projection-based backlight systemso as to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an LCD TV using aprojection-based backlight system which can supply a uniformly brightand effectively polarized light.

It is another object of the present invention to provide aprojection-based backlight system which not only has uncomplicatedstructural design but also has high efficiency polarization.

In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention provides anLCD TV comprises a housing, an LCD screen panel disposed on the frontside of the housing, a first mirror disposed on the back side of thehousing and a projection-based backlight system disposed in a lowercabinet of the housing, wherein the projection-based backlight systemsupplies uniformly polarized light to the LCD screen panel through thefirst mirror. The projection-based backlight system comprises a lightsource for supplying light, polarizing means for polarizing the lightsupplied by the light source and a projection lens for receiving thepolarized light from the polarizing means and projecting the polarizedlight to the LCD screen panel.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the polarizing meanscomprises two lens arrays, a polarization conversion element, acondenser lens, a relay lens and a polarizer. The two lens arrays have aplurality of lenses respectively disposed opposite to each other,adjacent to the light source and configured to receive the light fromthe light source to compensate the light. The polarization conversionelement is disposed adjacent to the lens arrays and configured toconvert the compensated light into polarized light. The condenser lensis disposed adjacent to the polarization conversion element andconfigured to condense the polarized light. The relay lens is disposedadjacent to the condenser lens and configured to direct the condensedlight. The polarizer is disposed adjacent to the relay lens andconfigured to further polarize the directed light. A first projectionlens directly receives the polarized light from the polarizer andprojects the polarized light to the LCD screen panel. An illuminatinglight almost like natural color, supplied from the arc lamp, isreflected back by the elliptical reflector and emitted to the lensarrays. When the illuminating light travels through the two lens arrays,the two lens arrays will compensate the illuminating light so that itcan be perpendicularly incident on the incident surface of thepolarization conversion element. The compensated light passes throughthe polarization conversion element and is converted into polarizedlight. The polarized light then passes through the condenser lens andrelay lens to reach the polarizer and is further polarized by thepolarizer. The light passing through the polarizer becomes polarizedlight and then enters the projection lens so that a uniformly polarizedlight can be emitted to the LCD screen panel.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the polarizingmeans comprises an integrating sphere, a reflective polarizer, anintegrating rod, a condenser lens, and a relay lens. The integratingsphere has an entrance aperture and an exit aperture defined thereon.The integrating sphere is disposed adjacent to the light source with theentrance aperture facing the light source and configured to receive thelight through the entrance aperture. The reflective polarizer isdisposed adjacent to the exit aperture and configured to allow aspecific polarization light pass therethrough and to reflect otherpolarization lights back into the integrating sphere. The integratingrod has an entrance-side end surface and an exit-side end surface. Theintegrating rod is disposed adjacent to the reflective polarizer andconfigured to receive the specific polarization light and to direct itout through the exit-side end surface. The condenser lens is disposedadjacent to the exit-side end surface of the integrating rod andconfigured to condense the specific polarization light. The relay lensis disposed adjacent to the condenser lens and configured to direct thecondensed specific polarization light from the condenser lens. The firstprojection lens receives the specific polarization light from the relaylens and projects the specific polarization light to the LCD screenpanel. The integrating sphere and the reflective polarizer are used sothat a specific polarization light, e.g. S-polarization light orP-polarization light, can be provided, and others will be reflected backto the integrating sphere and be de-polarized by the integrating sphere.In such a manner, the light can be effectively used and the polarizationefficiency can be increased.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the polarizingmeans comprises two lens arrays, a condenser lens, a relay lens, apolarizing beam splitter, a second mirror, a half waveplate, and asecond projection lens. The two lens arrays have a plurality of lensesrespectively disposed opposite to each other, and adjacent to the lightsource to receive the light from the light source to compensate thelight. The condenser lens is disposed adjacent to the lens arrays andconfigured to condense the compensated light. A relay lens is disposedadjacent to the condenser lens and configured to direct the condensedlight. The polarizing beam splitter has a light input side facing therelay lens for receiving the directed light. A first split-light side isadjacent to the light input side, a second split-light side is oppositeto the light input side, and a light output side is opposite to thefirst split-light side. The polarizing beam splitter is configured tosplit the directed light into first P-polarization light to passdirectly through the second split-light side and S-polarization light tobe directed toward the first split-light side. The second mirror isdisposed adjacent to the first split-light side and configured toreflect the S-polarization light. The half waveplate is disposedadjacent to the second mirror and configured to receive theS-polarization light from the second mirror and to convert theS-polarization light into second P-polarization light. The secondprojection lens is disposed adjacent to the half waveplate andconfigured to receive the second P-polarized light from the halfwaveplate and to project the second P-polarized light to the LCD screenpanel. The first projection lens receives the first P-polarized lightfrom the second split-light side of the polarizing beam splitter andprojects the first P-polarized light to the LCD screen panel. The secondprojection lens can be appropriately aligned so as to project the samepolarization light as projected by the first projection lens on the sameLCD screen panel, so that the light provided by the light source can beeffectively used and polarization efficiency can be increased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present inventionwill become more apparent from the following detailed description whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 a and 1 b respectively shows a front view and a side view of aninternal structure of an LCD TV according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a structure of a projection-based backlight systemaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a structure of a projection-based backlight systemaccording to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a structure of a projection-based backlight systemaccording to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 a and 1 b respectively show a front view and a side view of aninternal structure of a liquid crystal display television (LCD TV) 100according to an embodiment of the present invention. The LCD TV 100comprises a housing 102, an LCD screen panel 104, a first mirror 106 anda projection-based backlight system 108. The LCD screen panel 104 isdisposed on the front side 102 a of the housing 102 and produces animage to a viewer. The first mirror 106 is disposed on the back side 102b of the housing 102. The projection-based backlight system 108 isdisposed in a lower cabinet 110 of the housing 102 and is configured tosupply uniformly polarized light to the LCD screen panel 104.

When the LCD TV 100 is in “ON” state, the projection-based backlightsystem 108 emits uniformly polarized light 112 toward the first mirror106 by a projection lens 108 a, and then the first mirror 106 reflectsthe uniformly polarized light 112 toward the LCD screen panel 104. Whenthe uniformly polarized light 112 reflected from the first mirror 106reaches the LCD screen panel 104, it will be modulated in accordancewith the operation of the pixels of the LCD screen panel 104 which aredriven in accordance with corresponding red, green and blue signalsderived from a video signal. Finally, the modulated light passes througha color filter (not shown) disposed within the LCD screen panel 104 soas to produce a color image to a viewer. Preferably, a Fresnel lens 114is disposed at the light incident side 104 a of the LCD screen panel 104for collimating the uniformly polarized light 112 reflected from thefirst mirror 106.

According to the LCD TV of the present invention, the backlight providedto the LCD screen panel 104 is supplied by the projection-basedbacklight system 108, not a backlight module with cold cathodefluorescent lights (CCFL), which can not only increase polarizationefficiency but also supply more uniform backlight to the LCD screenpanel 104. Further, since the LCD screen panel 104 receives a uniformlypolarized light supplied by the projection-based backlight system 108,the LCD screen panel 104 can eliminate the usage of polarizer on thesurfaces so as to reduce the manufacturing cost of the LCD screen panel.In the following paragraphs, three different structures for forming theprojection-based backlight system 108 will be described in greaterdetail.

FIG. 2 illustrates a structure of a projection-based backlight system200 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Theprojection-based backlight system 200 includes a light source 202, twolens arrays 204, 206, a polarization conversion element 208, a condenserlens 210, a relay lens 212, a polarizer 214 and a projection lens 216.The light source 202 further includes an arc lamp 202 a and anelliptical reflector 202 b. The lens arrays 204 and 206 have a pluralityof lenses 204 a and 206 a respectively and are disposed opposite to eachother. Further, they are disposed adjacent to the light source 202 andconfigured to receive light provided by the light source 202. Thepolarization conversion element 208 is disposed adjacent to the lensarrays 204 and 206 and converts the light passing therethrough intopolarized light. The condenser lens 210 is disposed adjacent to thepolarization conversion element 208 and configured to condense thepolarized light received from the polarization conversion element 208.The polarization conversion element 208 is preferably a P-S converter.The relay lens 212 is disposed opposite to the condenser lens 210, andconfigured to receive the condensed light from the condenser lens 210and to direct it to the polarizer 214. The polarizer 214 is disposedadjacent to the relay lens 212 and configured to polarize light passingtherethrough. The projection lens 216 is disposed adjacent to thepolarizer 214, and configured to receive the polarized light from thepolarizer 214 and to project it to an LCD screen panel (not shown).

In projection-based backlight system 200, an illuminating light almostlike natural color, supplied from the arc lamp 202 a, is reflected backby the elliptical reflector 202 b and emitted to the lens arrays 204.When the illuminating light travels through the two lens arrays 204 and206, the two lens arrays 204 and 206 will compensate the illuminatinglight so that it can be perpendicularly incident on the incident surfaceof the polarization conversion element 208. The compensated light passesthrough the polarization conversion element 208 and is converted intopolarized light. The polarized light then passes through the condenserlens 210 and relay lens 212 to reach the polarizer 214 and is furtherpolarized by the polarizer 214. The light passing through the polarizer214 becomes polarized light 218 and then enters the projection lens 216so that a uniformly polarized light can be emitted to an LCD screenpanel (not shown).

FIG. 3 illustrates a structure of a projection-based backlight system300 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Theprojection-based backlight system 300 includes a light source 302, anintegrating sphere 304, a reflective polarizer 306, an integrating rod308, a condenser lens 310, a relay lens 312 and a projection lens 314.The light source 302 further includes an arc lamp 302 a and anelliptical reflector 302 b, and the integrating sphere 304 further hasan entrance aperture 304 a and an exit aperture 304 b defined thereon.The integrating sphere 304 is disposed adjacent to the light source 302with the entrance aperture 304 a facing the light source 302. Thereflective polarizer 306 is disposed adjacent to the exit aperture 304 bof the integrating sphere 304. The integrating rod 308 is disposed atone side of the reflective polarizer 306, opposite to that facing theintegrating sphere 304, with its entrance-side end surface 308 aaligning with the exit aperture 304 b and its exit-side end surface 308b pointing toward the condenser lens 310. The condenser lens 310 isdisposed adjacent to the integrating rod 308 and configured to condensethe light therethough. The relay lens 312 is disposed opposite to thecondenser lens 310, and configured to receive the condensed light fromthe condenser lens 310 and to direct it to the projection lens 314. Theprojection lens 314 is disposed adjacent to relay lens 312, andconfigured to receive the light from the relay lens 312 and to projectthe light to an LCD screen panel (not shown).

In projection-based backlight system 300, an illuminating light from thearc lamp 302 a is reflected back by the elliptical reflector 302 b andthen enters the inside of the integrating sphere 304. The inner surfaceof the integrating sphere 304 has a coating of a material with aLambertian quality; that is, the surface has the directionalcharacteristic of distributing reflected light uniformly over the entiresphere's inner surface. Thus, once the illuminating light enters theintegrating sphere 304 through its entrance aperture 304 a, the light isevenly distributed over the entire inner sphere surface, including theexit aperture 304 b. Since the reflective polarizer 306 is disposedadjacent to the exit aperture 304 b, only a specific polarization light,e.g. S-polarization light or P-polarization light, can pass through thereflective polarizer 306 and others will be reflected back into theintegrating sphere 304. The specific polarization light then enters theintegrating rod 308. The integrating rod 308 is a rod having arectangular cross section, and is arranged in such a way that theentrance-side end surface 308 a is disposed adjacent to the reflectivepolarizer 306. The specific polarization light passing through thereflective polarizer 306 enters the integrating rod 308 from theentrance-side end surface 308 a, and then reaches the exit-side endsurface 308 b by being totally reflected from the side surfaces of theintegrating rod 308. The specific polarization light emitted from theexit-side end surface 308 b then passes through the condenser lens 310and relay lens 312 to reach the projection lens 314 so that the specificpolarization light can be emitted to an LCD screen panel (not shown).According to the projection-based backlight system 300 of the presentinvention, the integrating sphere 304 and the reflective polarizer 306are used so that a specific polarization light, e.g. S-polarizationlight or P-polarization light, can be provided, and others will bereflected back to the integrating sphere 304 and be de-polarized by theintegrating sphere 304. In such a manner, the light can be effectivelyused and the polarization efficiency can be increased.

FIG. 4 illustrates a structure of a projection-based backlight system400 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Theprojection-based backlight system 400 includes a light source 402, twolens arrays 404, 406, a condenser lens 408, a relay lens 410, apolarizing beam splitter 412, a second mirror 414, a half waveplate 416,a first projection lens 418 and a second projection lens 420. The lightsource 402 further includes an arc lamp 402 a and an ellipticalreflector 402 b. The lens arrays 404 and 406 have a plurality of lenses404 a and 406 a respectively and are disposed opposite to each other.Further, they are disposed adjacent to the light source 402 andconfigured to receive the light provided by the light source 402. Thecondenser lens 408 is disposed adjacent to the lens arrays 404 and 406and configured to condense the light received from the lens arrays 404and 406. The relay lens 410 is disposed opposite to the condenser lens408, and configured to receive the condensed light from the condenserlens 408 and to direct it to the polarizing beam splitter 412. Thepolarizing beam splitter 412 is disposed adjacent to the relay lens 410and configured to reflect S-polarization light in a transverse directionand allow P-polarization light to pass directly therethrough. Thepolarizing beam splitter 412 has a light input side 412 a, a firstsplit-light side 412 b adjacent to the light input side 412 a, a secondsplit-light side 412 c opposite to the light input side 412 a and alight output side 412 d opposite to the first split-light side 412 b.The first projection lens 418 is disposed adjacent to the secondsplit-light side 412 c and configured to receive P-polarization lightpassing through the second split-light side 412 c and to project theP-polarization light to an LCD screen panel (not shown). The secondmirror 414 is disposed adjacent to the first split-light side 412 b andconfigured to receive S-polarization light passing through the firstsplit-light side 412 b and to reflect it toward the half waveplate 416.The half waveplate 416 is disposed adjacent to the second mirror 414 andconfigured to receive the S-polarization light from the second mirror414 and to convert it into second P-polarization light. The secondprojection lens 420 is disposed adjacent to the half waveplate 416 andthe first projection lens 418, and configured to receive the secondP-Polarization light and to project the second P-Polarization light tothe LCD screen panel (not shown).

In projection-based backlight system 400, an illuminating light suppliedfrom the arc lamp 402 a is reflected back by the elliptical reflector402 b and emitted to the lens arrays 404. When the illuminating lighttravels through the two lens arrays 404 and 406, the two lens arrays 404and 406 will compensate the illuminating light so that it can beperpendicularly incident on the incident surface of the condenser lens408. The compensated light then passes through the condenser lens 408and relay lens 410 to reach the polarizing beam splitter 412. When thelight 421 enters the polarizing beam splitter 412, it is split by thepolarizing beam splitter 412 into first P-polarization light 422 whichwill pass directly through the second split-light side 412 c andS-polarization light 424 which will be directed toward the firstsplit-light side 412 b. The first P-polarization light 422 then entersthe first projection lens 418 and is emitted to an LCD screen panel (notshown) by the first projection lens 418. In addition, the S-polarizationlight 424 reaches the second mirror 414 and is reflected toward the halfwaveplate 416 by the second mirror 414, and then converted into secondP-polarization light 426 by the half waveplate 416. The secondP-polarization light 426 then enters the second projection lens 420 andis emitted to the same LCD screen panel (not shown) by the secondprojection lens 420.

According to the projection-based backlight system 400 of the presentinvention, the second projection lens 420 can be appropriately alignedso as to project the same polarization light as projected by the firstprojection lens 418 on the same LCD screen panel, so that the lightprovided by the light source 402 can be effectively used andpolarization efficiency can be increased.

While the foregoing descriptions and drawings represent the preferredembodiments of the present invention, it should be understood thatvarious additions, modifications and substitutions may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the principles of thepresent invention as defined in the accompanying claims. One skilled inthe art will appreciate that the invention may be used with manymodifications of form, structure, arrangement, elements, and components.The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered inall respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of theinvention should be defined by the appended claims and their legalequivalents, not limited to the foregoing descriptions.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A liquid crystal display (LCD) device, comprising:a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen panel for producing images; and aprojection-based backlight system comprising a light source forsupplying a light beam; polarizing means for polarizing the light beamsupplied by the light source to obtain a polarized light beam; and afirst projection lens for enlarging the polarized light beam receivedfrom the polarizing means and projecting the enlarged polarized lightbeam onto the LCD screen panel; wherein the polarizing means comprises:an integrating sphere having an entrance aperture and an exit aperturedefined thereon, the integrating sphere configured to receive the lightfrom the light source through the entrance aperture; and a reflectivepolarizer disposed adjacent to the exit aperture and configured to allowa specific polarization light pass therethrough for the first projectionlens and to reflect other polarization lights back into the integratingsphere.
 22. The LCD TV as claimed in claim 21, wherein the polarizingmeans further comprises: an integrating rod having an entrance-side endsurface and an exit-side end surface, the integrating rod disposedadjacent to the reflective polarizer and configured to receive thespecific polarization light through the entrance-side end surface and todirect it out through the exit-side end surface for the first projectionlens.
 23. The LCD TV as claimed in claim 21, wherein the polarizingmeans further comprises: a condenser lens configured to condense thespecific polarization light; and a relay lens configured to direct thecondensed specific polarization light from the condenser lens for thefirst projection lens; wherein the condenser lens is disposed betweenthe integrating rod and the relay lens.
 24. A projection-based backlightsystem for an LCD TV having an LCD screen panel, comprising: a lightsource for supplying light; an integrating sphere having an entranceaperture and an exit aperture defined thereon, the integrating spheredisposed adjacent to the light source with the entrance aperture facingthe light source and configured to receive the light through theentrance aperture; a reflective polarizer disposed on the exit apertureand configured to allow a specific polarization light pass therethroughand to reflect other polarization lights back into the integratingsphere; an integrating rod having an entrance-side end surface and anexit-side end surface, the integrating rod disposed on the reflectivepolarizer and configured to receive the specific polarization lightthrough the entrance-side end surface and to direct it out through theexit-side end surface; a condenser lens disposed adjacent to theexit-side end surface of the integrating rod and configured to condensethe specific polarization light; a relay lens disposed adjacent to thecondenser lens and configured to direct the condensed specificpolarization light from the condenser lens; and a projection lensdisposed adjacent to the relay lens and configured to receive thespecific polarization light from the relay lens and to project thespecific polarization light to the LCD screen panel.